Jets’ playoff payoff would be huge

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This article was published 15/01/2015 (4002 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DALLAS, Texas — Making the playoffs will be about far more than the great whiteout debate for the Winnipeg Jets should the team remain on its current trajectory.

Cash, development opportunity and an improved perception of the team from within the organization and around the league will all be side effects of finally getting in the door.

The good folks at sportsclubstats.com had the Jets odds of reaching the post-season at 77 per cent before Wednesday night’s NHL action. Nothing is assured at this point and with 38 games remaining on the schedule, there is still a lot of track to cover.

The chance to move from a loser to a playoff team, regardless of location, is enough to motivate most players

There’s no arguing, however, that the “if” is getting smaller where the Jets are concerned.

While the moment would be one to remember, the longer-lasting effects of a playoff appearance might resonate deeper within the organization.

Playoffs offer a huge growth opportunity for players and for those who have yet to experience the high level of emotion and commitment required for that success, there remains a hole in their development.

Bryan Little, Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane would all benefit from the opportunity, as would youngsters Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry and Jacob Trouba.

One trip to the post-season would drive this group to return. It would add immeasurable experience across the board to this roster.

Jets chairman Mark Chipman has always framed his discussions on the direction his team is heading by defining the destination. Chipman hopes to build a franchise capable of reaching the post-season and remaining in it for a long stretch and then one day contending for a championship.

Fans want their team to win the Stanley Cup and so do owners and managers. But the process first requires getting to the playoffs, and then, in all likelihood, banging on the door for many years. Maybe it ends in a title and maybe it doesn’t. First, however, it’s about getting in the playoffs, then consistently staying there.

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has been building towards this since he took over the team. Cheveldayoff wants a deep organizational roster constantly spitting out new players drafted and developed from within.

It hasn’t been glamorous, and it hasn’t been flashy. But it has put the Jets in position to begin to reap some rewards.

The name of the game is the playoffs, but there are ancillary benefits that come along with being a qualifier.

Should the Jets reach the post-season there will be additional revenue. A Canadian NHL franchise can count on a substantial amount of revenue for every playoff game.

For a budget franchise such as the Jets, such additions to the net profit line can go a long way. Chipman and his management team operate the Jets like a true business and don’t spend what they don’t have. This has a direct effect on player costs and Cheveldayoff’s ability to sign players. More money can be viewed only as a good thing.

Cheveldayoff has gone into the last few trade deadlines and off-seasons with external restrictions. Players with no-move clauses and free agents with choices have looked down on the Jets. Winnipeg just hasn’t been an attractive place for players and their families when decisions were being made.

But a playoff berth with a stable of talented young players on the rise can change perceptions. The chance to move from a loser to a playoff team, regardless of location, is enough to motivate most players.

If the Jets find themselves comfortably in the playoffs and Cheveldayoff is a buyer at or around the deadline, he’ll have an opportunity for success. Players will want to join the Jets and that hasn’t always been the case.

The same will apply to potential free agents. Players around the league watch the post-season and if the Jets leave a lasting, positive impression, Cheveldayoff might have a better chance on his swings.

Veterans Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien are heading into the final season of multi-year pacts and as such will be eligible to sign extensions this summer. Cheveldayoff is also currently working on striking a deal with pending unrestricted free agent Michael Frolik.

They’ll all want to know the direction the franchise is heading, and there’s no better indication than qualifying for the playoffs.

Ladd just turned 29 and Byfuglien will be 30 in March. They’ll both be looking for term in their next deal, and they won’t want to tie their futures to a franchise that isn’t going to have a chance at winning while they are still active.

Cheveldayoff will push hard this off-season to get both to sign extensions. One of the selling points will be where the organization is headed and having a playoff series fresh in the players’ memories will make the sales job much easier.

As for the whiteout debate, forget it. Fans basically bullied True North into using the name Jets and they’ll do the same with the whiteout. The appetite for nostalgia where the Jets are concerned is insatiable. They will wear white.

When and if the Jets reach the playoffs there will be a whiteout.

More importantly for the franchise, however, will be the announcement the new franchise has arrived.

And they will have done things their way which more and more is being revealed as the right way.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless